Distributors Should Think Like Their Customers

I actually met Ed several years back when he was heading up enterprise solution provider CompuCom, which was then in the midst of its transition from being a primarily product-resale focused business to a services business. Before CompuCom, Coleman was at Computer Sciences. Here&'s a past interview.

Frankly speaking, I think it&'s really interesting that Arrow ECS turned to a former reseller executive as its new leader. (Ed took the job last fall.) To me, it&'s a perfect indicator that distribution companies need to up the ante when it comes to how they think about services. (Specialty distributor Alternative Technology also is run by a former VAR exec, Bill Botti, and it shows in the types of services it offers.)

As Arrow ECS shapes its priorities for 2006, you can look to Coleman to focus on “quality of services.” Not in the sense you&'d normally hear the term. But in the philosophy that Arrow needs to adopt new training and services offerings to support the transition of its VAR customers into true, solutions-focused operations. “In a services business, the only long-run differentiation you can have in a services business is the quality of services you deliver,” Coleman said. By the way, it&'s clear he considers Arrow ECS to be a services business.

Another note: Coleman will also be looking to Arrow&'s newly acquired DNSint.com unit for advice on new services that might apply to the U.S. marketplace. “We can learn from DNS about how to move up the value-add chain,” Coleman said.

Note to Tech Data: With Steve Raymund moving into the chairman role, services experience should be a checklist item for your new CEO.